Monday, November 26, 2007

Obama Stirs The Pot: Says He's Open To Authorizing Medical Marijuana

CINCINNATNI (TDB) -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama admits he's inhaled. He's been honest enough to say inhaling is really "the point" of experimenting with marijuana in the first place. Now the Democratic presidential candidate also says he is open to the idea of approving marijuana use for medical purposes -- provided there is solid evidence it can alleviate pain.

Obama made his remarks in Audubon, Ia., on Sunday, and was careful to say he did not support legalizing pot. Surprisingly, his comments have not yet received much attention from the Main Stream Media.

But Douglas Burns, writing in the Iowa Independent blog, reports that a member of the public this week questioned Obama about his views on marijuana. The senator said he had tried it and wished he hadn't. He also said he could not understand why Bill Clinton famously said he had puffed on a joint but did not inhale. "The point was to inhale. That was the point," Obama said.

On medical marijuana, in response to the questioner, Obama said his mother died at age 53 from cancer. He said that medical protocols might be developed to allow those Americans who are terminally ill or in serious pain to use the drug to ease their suffering. He did not see any reason to ban marijuana from medical use if strict rules controlling access were applied.

"My attitude is, if the science and the doctors suggest that the best palliative care and the way to relieve pain and suffering is medical marijuana, then that's something I'm open to because there's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain. But I want to do it under strict guidelines. I want it prescribed in the same way that other painkillers or palliative drugs are prescribed."

He seemed to deliver a straightforward message -- some narcotics are already being used as prescription painkillers. If there is a place for marijuana among them, then use it, too.

That's an acknowledgement many politicians refuse to make. In Ohio, State Sen. Bob Hagan, a Youngstown-area Democrat, introduced a measure last year to legalize medical marijuana that never made it out of a legislative committee. There is more about the Ohio medical marijuana campaign here. And Cleveland U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich has been a longtime proponent of easing the ban on medical marijuana. During his 2004 presidential campaign, Kucinich said he would sign an executive order allowing use of the drug. He hasn't changed his mind this year, either.

6 comments:

No difference between THC and Morphine. Is that what he said? I have news for him morphine is highly addictive with terribly painful withdrawals characterized by nausea, extreme lower back pain and severe body aches and pains with the highest most stressful anxiety you have ever experienced and the only thing that cures all symptoms is another opiate/Oxycontin/Heroin, the true narcotic, other symptoms include vomiting, sonic diarrhea (both at the same time,) involuntary muscle spasms and leg kicks, sound like fun? Believe you me if you were to go through that experience you would wish you were dead but NNOOO, you won't die you will stay alive with that constantly painful experience. Plus he wants Cannabis prescribed in the same way that other painkillers or palliative drugs are prescribed i.e. in a pill. Sorry as a senior voting Iowan with 2 diabetic neuropathic diseases both effecting my digestive system leaveing me in a 24/7 state of nausea with 3-5 violent vomiting sessions a month for the rest of my life the plant is much more effective. Plus the higher THC content the easier it is to titrate. For one puff of 18-27% THC marijuana is harmless yet very effective at releiving nausea, therefore you can titrate your dose puff by puff. Now, since medical marijuana is illegal (God only knows why) in Iowa the pig, corn, and insurance state, I am on Marinol 2.5 mg which my 2 doctors say is not enough to be effective in controlling my nausea & vomiting. Hell cancer patients have it easy there nausea goes away when chemo is stopped. My nausea only goes away when I die. Yet my insurance company will only pay for the minimum dose of 60-2.5mg pills a month. So I am FORCED to buy from the black market, which doesn't deliver the best quality all the time. Yet my monthly dose from the pharmacy would be $1,200 a month (this is cost prohibitive for me) and my monthly dose from the black market is $250-$300 a month. What would you do. Break the law and receive instant relief or don't break the law and live a life where you always feel so nauseated you are on the brink of vomiting? Right so would I. Vote Ron Paul, don't forget to register at the primary's in order to support your candidate.

I need to look into Ron Paul and medical marijuana, legalization etc. I think he and Kucinich both support it, but I don't know enough about Paul. I did have an interesting conversation near the lunch hour today. A person I know, who would not ever be interested in a Republican for president, told me he is very impressed with Paul but does not think he has a chance of getting the GOP nomination. He has seen the results of the Internet fundraising and marvels at the depth of financial support. He is is drawn to Ron Paul by his philosophy.

You are the King and Kucinich wants to be your hemperor. He must be smoking it, too, or maybe hitting the Crown Royal if he thinks he's going to be elected president next year. Kucinich raises hardly any money by the standards of a presidential campaign, and he thinks he can get Ron Paul to be his No. 2? Paul can raise more money in a day than Dennis in a decade.